Given that Dr Rassie Erasmus has seen fit to arrange almost a Test a week this year in preparation for next year’s Rugby World Cup, it is important, nay imperative, to see the wood for the trees, rather than resort to mindless predictions about the score of any one game.
Yes, he would like to win every game, but not at the expense of building depth in every position or of evolving the Bok game plan to a more open, running and passing style.
So what is important is to focus not on the score, but on the performance of individual players, and assess whether they have made the grade for next year’s world cup squad.
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Even winning or loosing is of secondary importance this year, so I will devote only a paragraph about the game itself, and rather expand on whether so and so has or has not made the grade.
Thus, the Boks playing as if they were the Bulls at Loftus, delighted the Bulls fans. It was 10-man rugby relying heavily on the relentless power of a big pack of forwards, who are kept in forward gear by a kicking flyhalf — and of course Handrè Pollard at flyhalf kept the willing Scotsmen on the defensive.
Not surprisingly therefore although the Scotsmen were soon trailing by a score of 14-0, by half time it was 14-all.
Thus, soon after the start of the second half on came the junior Bomb Squad, and Aphelele Fassi, who played poorly in the first half, was replaced and sensibly Willemse was moved into the backline. Embrose Papier scored a great try and had therefore done enough, so was replaced by Williams.
Pollard pulled the strings at flyhalf, and probably did enough to reassure Dr Rassie that he can kick accurately and played steadily enough to start at flyhalf, in the first Test against the All Blacks on August 22.
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Of course, that would give Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu some more precious recovery time.
Allow me to stick my neck out again: without Sacha running the show at flyhalf we will not defeat the All Blacks or France this year, and therefore in next year’s world cup as well.
Once again the Boks lack of two lineout specialists was glaringly apparent. We desperately need Lood de Jager a.s.a.p. and R.G. Snyman next year.
With only one warm-up Test before we face the haka, many, if not most, coaches would get cold feet and select their best XV as a warm up plan.
But of course Dr Rassie is a rebel so do not bet on it. He still it seems to me is intent on building depth and winning the world cup next year, so do not be fooled by the Greatest Rivalry ballyhoo.
Furthermore, whether Dr Rassie has decided not to pursue a more open running game plan to remain a step ahead of those trying to beat the 2022 Boks, is a question.
Some have opined that it is a ruse and that the Boks will revert to forward dominance and winning the aerial battle.
But I doubt he has made up his mind yet, and provided Sacha bounces back to his best, plan A is still to play an evolved game plan.
Of course, many do not care how we win as long as we win. But Rassie has long grown out of his youth days in Despatch and his coaching days in Bloemfontein.
Dr Rassie, in my view, is best seen not just as a pain in the you-know-where by the rugby powers that be, but as a rebel. But not let me hasten to add, not a rebel without a cause as was James Dean, but rather a rebel with a cause.
